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Axl sounded amazing tonight. He really brought his A game. Only issue was that they stopped selling booze at 11 which was basically when they went on. That may have put a damper on the crowd. Plus it's jersey. But axl was sick tonight!

Holy shit, Just got back home. I saw GNR in 2002 at Madison Square Garden, 2007 in Continental arena, and tonight's show was the best out of all of them.

Tonight's show totally exceeded expectations. In fact, it was pure magic.

Hey guy's, this is "the band". This is that special group Axl was looking for. The chemistry and musicianship is incredible. Every player is a star. But most importantly, was the "energy". This group of guys has it. I've never seen or felt this from any other line up, or new Guns performance. Even performances in the past where they played rare CD songs, or Axl's voice was doing it's perfect patented schred in it's finest form. It was like, it didn't matter what Axl sounded like or what songs were played or how they were played. It was just fucking awesome. I can't even explain it.

Before the show, I was bored with the setlist, and wasn't expecting much. I didn't understand why they were doing it like they were, but bow, I totally get it. This show was a straight up high energy, momentum of a freight train, rock and roll motherfucking show. Even the slower songs which sometimes bore me, were in a totally different light tonight. Everything just clicked, all cylinders firing, and was just flat out awesome.

Man, they played 3 hours tonight of just non stop pure energy. And let me tell you, this band was having so much fun, you could see it and feel it.

And can't even explain it properly now, but it was fucking awesome. Best concert I have ever been too in my life. No exaggeration.

I've got tons of details, won't write them all tonight. Here's one that's interesting though: every time I went to take a leak, I heard dude's praising the fuck out of the band. Some of the comments were dumb, but cool to hear like, "Fuckin Axl finally got a fuckin band that can play these goddamn songs." And that doesn't translate well into text, but it was said in a very supportive way. Basically, everybody that left to buy something or use the bathroom was talking about the band, and did everything quickly so they could get back to the show as soon as possible.

I left the show high on energy, and feel positive as fuck. That means a lot.

Absolutely awesome show. My 5th time seeing them (1987 and 3 shows in 2006) and this was the best show. I was in the first row against the barricade, between Fortus and Axl's "spot." Axl's voice was clear and crisp, the band was tight and having fun. Axl opened the show by saying, "bet you were all wondering if I would show up. So was I." They sang happy birthday to Fortus. DJ nearly caused himself and his guitar to go up in sparks. Ron called Axl a motherfucker when he couldn't get to his foot pedal. Axl had new snakeskin cowboy boots on. The audience, eh, the people on the floor were into it, except for the two people who passed out, the fight that broke out, and the two guys being passed from person to person until security got them. It was simply awesome. I don't remember the order of songs, of course it opened with Chinese, followed by Jungle. I know Riff Raff was played pretty early. Shacklers, November Rain, Better, Sorry Night Train, Brownstone, Rosie, Rocket Queen, Sweet Child, ..... and more...... encore was Maddy, Patience, Paradise. Three solid hours of pure awesomeness.

I've seen every iteration of Guns N Roses since 1987-2011 and last night's performance in NJ was a seminal moment for this band. For the first time ever, I feel like new Guns has stopped trying so hard to "be different", and instead, they are just working together to create the greatest rock n roll show possible. What i mean by that is before, it always felt like each member was trying to bring his sound out, to differentiate it from the original band, not just in style and technique, but also in the sound itself. As a result, you had all these different sounds and styles crashing into each other in the middle of a song. Not anymore. Last night, this band sounded like one complete unit working harmoniously together, almost like a V12 engine where every piston is firing perfectly and the noise emitted is sheer heaven. Take Sweet Child O' Mine for example. DJ and Ron blended their styles together SO PERFECTLY that you couldn't even detect when the shift happens during the solo (from DJ to Ron). It sounded as if all 3 guitarists where all playing off of the same guitar. As a result, this incredible wave of music was created that allowed Axl to fucking blow the roof off with his vocal power. Oh, did I mention, Axl Rose sounded and looked great. I brought a group of 10 people to the show last night, all of which were skeptical of of Axl's capabilities. Two songs in they were all completely blown away. The only problem with watching GNR for me is that it makes it impossible to enjoy other live acts. This band hits so fucking hard and has SO MANY great tunes, it makes other concerts pointless. I just end up comparing everything to GNR and nothing compares.

If you haven't had a chance to see this lineup, I highly suggest you take whatever means necessary to get to a show. And bring with you GNR fans. Who knows how long these moments will last, but take advantage of them while they do. Rock on...

All it took was just a little patience... okay, a lot of patience, but the roaring, fire-spitting rock n’ roll machine known as Guns n’ Roses assaulted the Izod Center at the Meadowlands last night with a three hour show full of new material, cover songs, and of course, classic Gn’R hits.

It was surprising to overhear the handful of attendees last night who still thought that lead guitarist Slash was a member of the modern day Guns n’ Roses, but most of the thousands of fans who filled the floor and seats of the Izod Center were fully familiar with the saga and drama of the band, still led by singer Axl Rose but featuring no other of the original members from landmark album Appetite For Destruction. Still intact, however, was the band’s trademark tardiness; while the doors opened as early as 8pm, and opening act Asking Alexandria went on at 9pm, there was no hint of Axl & company until after 11. Still, for a band known to go on well after midnight, if they show up at all, New Jerseyians and New Yorkers who ventured across the Hudson caught a fairly reasonable start time from the notoriously finicky Rose.Advertisement

The arena was a little over half full when the lights finally dimmed and the band churned into the opening title track of Chinese Democracy, the long-awaited album which finally came out in 2008. Last night, however, was the first Northeast tour date in support of the album since its release, and while many in the crowd sang along to every word, it was hard to determine if the new song had made a real impact on the fanbase at large.

But the band followed up with Welcome to the Jungle, and it was 1987 once again as the fedora-wearing Axl danced around the stage and hit the high notes with an astounding power, his voice still shrill, yet muscular as ever. Following up with two more hits from Appetite, It’s So Easy and Mr. Brownstone, virtually everyone throughout the arena was on their feet, singing along and cheering furiously for the songs that have been a staple soundtrack of rock fans for well over two decades.

From there, though, the setlist took an interesting turn. A few more new songs were played, the doom metal-esque Sorry a heavy complement to the introspective Better, with a cover of AC/DC’s Riff Raff in between (the first of no less than five cover songs to be played over the course of the night). The crowd was noticeably less receptive to the non-classic material, but when the opening notes of Estranged rang out, all seemed forgiven.

In some ways, the 10 minute Estranged summed up the entire modern incarnation of Guns n’ Roses as well as the night’s concert. The gentle, ballad-y frame of the song, provided by the group’s dual keyboardists, was mellow and moving. Meandering interludes, while pleasant, could be seen as filler between the hard hitting, crunch-filled choruses of the song which had fans throwing up their hands in solidarity with Axl’s passionate cries over booming riffs. The same concept would play out as the night went on, each band member taking an extended, arguably indulgent solo, jamming out in between the songs fans were waiting to hear. But when those songs finally came, they were spectacular, from the catchy Rocket Queen to an explosive, pyrotechnic-filled Live and Let Die, and You Could Be Mine, easily the heaviest song of the night which even saw a fistfight break out on the floor as fans rocked out and jostled each other.

But while the old songs were met with enthusiasm, and newer ones enjoyed by some and tolerated by the rest, the heart and soul of Guns n’ Roses, and last night’s show, was always W. Axl Rose. The last remaining member of a band that was once the poster child for violent sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll, 21st century Axl wears a handlebar mustache, switches fedoras and leather jackets every other song, and is rarely seen in public. But make no mistake - Axl Rose still sings, bellows, and absolutely owns his stage like the “lean machine, drinking gasoline” that he was back in 1987. He regularly ran from one end of the stage to the other with a boundless energy, taking the time to pose next to each one of the seven bandmembers hired to perform the frontman’s elaborate vision of the ultimate rock n’ roll concert experience. Every note of every song was right on key and delivered with the raw energy, passion, and endurance that is held only by the top echelon of vocalists.

Detractors like to claim that it took three guitarists to replace the much-revered Slash, but judging by last night’s show, it seems like it actually took three guitarists to realize Axl’s grand vision for Guns n’ Roses, something that surpasses anything which would’ve been of interest to Slash or Duff. DJ Ashba (not an actual DJ) took many of Slash’s solos, as well as his image, wearing a smaller version of the iconic top hat and playing solos with a cigarette dangling from his lips. Richard Fortus made less of an impression, though he ripped through a demonic version of the James Bond theme during his solo, and was matched by the bearded Bumblefoot (read my interview with Bumblefoot from earlier this week here), who managed to summon the supernatural tones of ex-bandmember Buckethead’s wilder solos as well as adding his own touches, rocking out on a fretless doubleneck and broadcasting an aura of absolute electric guitar zen.

The show’s pace ebbed and flowed throughout the night, as Axl and his band were in no hurry even if tired fans were watching the clock. Jam breaks were frequent, and while enjoyable - The Pink Panther theme made an appearance, and a slow-paced take on Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall movement was downright electrifying - there was a definite sense in the crowd that between the late hour and the long show, more songs and fewer instrumental breakdowns would’ve been nice.

More songs, though, were coming. Sweet Child O’ Mine was nothing short of spectacular, as the entire arena sang along to the love song and karaoke standard. November Rain was just as unforgettable, Bumblefoot taking a stance in front of Axl’s grand piano for the song’s epic, fret-shredding finish as stage-wide showers of sparkles burned brightly for the entire drawn out solo. And ironically, some fans even had tears in their eyes during the always heartbreaking Don’t Cry.

As the night went on, Axl seemed to get increasingly warmed up, even as his jackets and hats kept changing between songs. His energy on another AC/DC cover, this time A Whole Lotta Rosie, was nothing short of hard-charging, and when it came to Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, there was no questioning the absolute joy on his face and sparkle in his eyes as he did what he does best, singing his heart out over a thick tapestry of crunchy guitars and freewheeling keyboards. For the first time in the night, he engaged the audience directly, and the crowd roared on the call and response for the Dylan song’s classic chorus.

With the hour well past 1am, fans were beginning to stream towards the door, but those who stayed clearly gained a second wind. Nightrain revved up both band and audience, with the night’s one and only crowdsurfer tumbling over the front barricades as the seven man band blasted through the fast-paced Appetite song like a 100 piece orchestra taking on Happy Birthday (the band also performed an impromptu Happy Birthday for guitarist Richard Fortus).

After a brief break, the night’s encore meant the end was in sight, though a significant portion of the audience had already headed out to the parking lots and their beds by then. But for those left in Izod's indoor bowl, the gentle Madagascar was followed by sing-along favorite Patience, played mostly on acoustic guitars with a blazing heavy metal finish from Ashba. Both songs were bookended by additional jams, but the final song of the night would be Paradise City, and both band and crowd went out with a bang. Axl rapped through the verses with the same boundless energy he’d shown all night, and all three guitarists took turns shredding through the wild, frantic outro solo. Confetti streamed from the rafters, filling the air as the stage erupted in endless bursts of fiery explosions, creating an almost impenetrable audio-visual blanket of whirling red paper and scorching walls of flame (see the final picture in my slideshow in the left sidebar) that perfectly matched the wheeling, doubletapping guitar heroics blasting out of the arena’s amplifiers.

It’s hard to say that the night’s show was perfect - even those of us expecting a late start still didn’t appreciate waiting around for hours, and while the musicians in the band are certainly worth appreciating individually, the amount of time given for solos and instrumentals was just overkill past a certain point. But if you can live with the issues of timing and duration, Axl Rose and Guns n’ Roses delivered a top caliber performance fully worth of the band’s legend in scope, if decidedly different than the Live Era albums in style. The classic songs sounded as good as the original albums, both studio and live, even with different inflections and nuances brought in by the new players. It was rewarding to hear the new material live for the first time, and it made this Chinese Democracy fan appreciate the infamously perfectionist production on that album even more once compared to a live, raw rendition of the tracks.

With towering flames and a wild stage show, the band showed what an arena rock concert is supposed to be all about, and set a high bar for the next band, of any genre, to follow. For all the flack and criticism Axl and Gn’R get, last night’s show made a clenched fist, powerhouse argument that no matter how late they go on stage or how infrequently they tour, in the end, it’s all worth the wait. New Yorkers have two more chances to catch this show when Guns n’ Roses plays Hartford, CT tomorrow night (Saturday 11/20), and then return to New Jersey at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, NJ next Saturday night.

Timing is everything in the world of Guns N Roses. From the oft-ridiculed span it took to create the ultimately disappointing "Chinese Democracy" album to Axl Rose's curfew-busting, occasionally riot-inducing lateness, the band might as well incorporate a clock and/or a calendar into its logo.

At this, the only Gotham-area stop on the band's first North American tour in five years, time was on Guns n Roses' side. Onstage by eleven – a mere hour after openers Asking Alexandria played their final tune – the band bobbed and weaved through a full three hours of material, a surprising amount of it culled from the catalogs of other bands. Depending on your point of view, that made for a perf that was either incredibly generous or wildly bloated.

The main body of the set started promisingly, with the title track to "Chinese Democracy" segueing into "Welcome to the Jungle" (a surprisingly early airing to what was arguably the evening's most anticipated song). Rose's voice, a point of much internet discussion, was strong. He can't really hit the high notes that characterized his singing in his twenties, but he's no longer stretching and missing them, choosing instead to re-interpret tunes like "It's So Easy" and "Estranged" for a lower register.

While there was no criticizing his vocal performance, Rose's overall vibe was a bit off-kilter. He left the stage for enough costume changes to make Diana Ross nod in approval – and also took his leave at random points during instrumental passages and solos, of which there were many (including guitarist Ron Thal's take on the Pink Panther theme and an all-hands on deck vamp through "Another Brick in the Wall.")

The sheer number of covers – from a Tommy Stinson-sung rave-up on "My Generation" to not one, but two forays into AC-DC's catalog – was striking, given the number of vintage originals that were left by the wayside. Then again, the ensemble seemed most electrified when going down that road. Even Rose himself looked happiest when seated at the piano for a solo "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."

While purists yearn for lightning to strike, prompting a reunion of the original G n R lineup, which imploded nearly two decades ago, the current incarnation actually operates more effectively as a band. No, the three-guitar, two-keyboard combo currently backing Axl Rose isn't as dynamic or personality-driven as its long-ago predecessor, but it is far more coherent and cohesive, never threatening to spin off the rails or generate an onstage fistfight.

Does that mean that this incarnation of Guns 'n Roses has an iconic album in it? Doubtful. But if the band could rein in some of the excesses that saw it playing to a half-filled venue at 2 a.m., its potential as a touring juggernaut is considerable.